God doesn't prevent terrible things because?

[-CraZed-]

IIIIITHE1IIIII said:

-CraZed- said:

IIIIITHE1IIIII said:

Which is the truth. If God wanted to prevent terrible things from happening, there is nothing stopping him. Everything is happening according to his plan and terrible things are a part of it.

 

I'd also like a "positive" option in the poll, but it really doesn't exist.

How do we know that? And even if there wasn't anything to stop Him how would we be able to even comprehend His reasons? The BEST I can come up with is being a father. I have three kids and they sometimes fight and squabble. I choose not to intervene most of the time not because I like watching them fight or hear them whine and cry or yell at each other. I choose not to intervene because I want them to learn to deal with one another without me having to take a side each and everytime. It's a chance for them to learn to deal with conflict before they grow up and have to do it in the real world. It also leads to a more harmonious household more often than not.

Am I callus or uncaring because of that? I don't think so.

Another reason I suppose is why have free will if God is just controlling everything? Personally I wouldn't want to live in a world where everthing is controlled and my every move is measured and guided. I want to chart my own destiny and make my own choices. Even if that means that tragedies  happen from time to time.

Fighting and crying at each other is not a terrible thing. If your kids start attacking each other with sharp objects though, surely you would do anything you can to intervene? Same thing if your kids ever get bullied in school: I would not consider you a responsible parent if you choose not to do anything about it.

Protecting your children from "terrible things" is one of the core responsibilities you have as a parent. We are all God's children, and evidently he does not protect us from terrible things. Conclusively, God is not a responsible parent.

God would not be controlling everything just because he protects us from terrible things, just like the government doesn't control us just because certain actions are prohibited. Even if the police was able to stop every crime from happening (through divine surveillance or whatever), we would still have people wanting to kill others and commit crimes. I.e. evil would still be present. The only difference is that the good people would no longer fall prey to it.

Au contrare'  there are people who definitely classify screaming and fighting in ANY context as 'terrible' I know parents who do exactly the opposite of what I do. They would feel like the worst parent in the world if they didn't dote over their childrens' every move. This is really the problem with this debate though is that while most of us might recognize 'terrible' as the sensless killing of another human being or a world war etc. some might see them as not really terrible but as a normal part of the human condition. Just as while you and I don't classify kids screaming at one another as terrible others might.

My only point was CHOOSING not do do something does not equal not WANTING to.

I agree that if not protecting one's children is definitely a breach of good parenting but should tragedy befall your child does that make you a bad parent? Of course not. Just read a story of a little girl killed when a gust of wind upturned the family trampoline sending it flying and killing the girl on top of it. Bad parents for allowing her to play on a trampoline? Bad God because he didn't catch her or resurrect her? I mean the idea is as absurd as absurd can be.

The possibilities for WHY it happened and God did not intervene are infinite! Even if the reasons are something we dont agree with doesn't mean we are right. Just as I am no more right to let my kids duke it out at home than it is for supermom to step in anytime there is so much as a hnt of tension between Bobby and Susie.

Just as choosing not to does not equal not wanting to it does not equal inability either. I use my analogy from using my children learning how to deal with confilict. If God intervened all the time when would you or I learn what right and wrong looks like? What good would your free will even be at that point?